I believe learning piano is a long-term commitment and needs patience and perseverance to be able to master the skill. Music to me is a language used to express emotions. It provides me satisfaction to study and play varied repertoire and in turn share my knowledge and skill with my students to enhance their musical journey.
Music study is an ongoing lifelong learning process. Playing a piece of music according to the composer’s intent is crucial, however every student has their individual style which makes playing music so unique. Studying music helps develop your creativity, analytical skills, develop discipline, and makes you proud of yourself as you achieve set goals.
I believe that every student has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some have an innate quality of sense of rhythm while others are able to play by ear with ease. My goal is to coach my students to identify their strengths and work on the weaker areas through consistent deliberate practice in lessons and at home. In this way, I endeavor to develop versatile musicians.
My teaching philosophy revolves around flexibility. Many times, I have my students choose from the repertoire they would love to play for an examination or any upcoming performance. The interest in the repertoire itself is a great motivator for a student to practice consistently. I encourage them to explore other genres of music like jazz, pop from the RCM popular syllabus.
A good technique when combined with artistry makes a well-rounded musician. I aim on developing good posture, hand shape, use of overall body movement, proper fingering, accuracy in rhythm and note reading, understanding of theoretical concepts, while striving to bring expression in their playing through the use of various touches (legato, staccatos etc.), balance between the hands (for melody & accompaniment), appropriate use of pedal technique and dynamics, and stylistic playing. I always emphasize the importance of listening to their piano playing. We do fun ear training and sight-reading exercises during the lesson and I assign relevant practice assignments through the use of apps and other online resources.
Practicing efficiently is an important skill. I teach my students effective practice strategies in weekly lessons. For e.g., practicing hands alone, in sections, or at a slower tempo. I set expectations for the amount of practice needed at home on a daily and weekly basis. Parents’ role is significant in helping them develop a practice routine, tracking their practice, giving them attention by listening to their pieces, motivating them for practice and, performing when given an opportunity.
Creativity can be added in our daily warm up exercises. When we are practicing the scales, we try them using different techniques i.e., staccatos, legato, detached, tenuto, accented or also a combination of them if they are playing them hands together. This gives them a chance to make it more fun and sometimes students prefer one technique over another. Progress happens when regular technical exercises, and etudes are balanced with a carefully selected repertoire. RCM certificate program is my primary focus whether the student intends to do the examinations or not. As mentioned earlier, it provides a structure, and vast repertoire choices at every level for developing technical, musical, and musicianship skills.
Disha's Piano Studio 🎹 